Reality In A Scrapbook
by BellsAndRoses
Summary: Sophia has lived much of her life traveling with the Doctor, after a life threatening event the Doctor moves her to Mystic Fall in order to keep her safe. Will she discover the Salvatore's secret? Her past life told through pictures in a scrapbook.
1. Prolouge

I sat in a rocking chair and stared out of the window watching the end of a sunset. I heard the front door shut and shuffling in the hallway. A man with dark hair and blue eyes walked into the room, he wore navy blue slacks with suspenders, a blue button down shirt, and a coat from the World War.

"Sophia…" The man said.

"Yes Jack?" I said pulling my eyes from the twilight sky and onto my friend.

"I've finished bringing in your things." There was a silence. "I could stay here tonight if you'd like."

"No thank you. If I'm to live on my own then I might as well start right now." I said with an edge to my voice.

"You shouldn't be angry with him, Sophia."

"And why is that, Captain Jack Harkness? Why shouldn't I be angry with the Doctor? He dumps me here in this town and pushes me into a life I haven't lived for over five years… to what, protect me? I don't need to be coddled; I'm not a child anymore!"

"You need to see it from his perspective… you almost died, Sophia."

"Yes, and he has almost died too… I don't see him settling on a 'safe, average, small town' do I?" I replied, my anger shifting into sadness. "I know he means well… but I don't want to be 'protected'; I want to stay with him."

"He might come around." Jack said with a small smile.

"How long will that take?" I got up and began to pace. "He shouldn't be alone. I know what kind of trouble he gets into, he needs someone with him. What with Donna gone…" I swallowed hard, "… and him not taking on any new companions. I'm just worried."

"The Doctor is more than capable of taking care of himself."

"I guess you're right." I stopped pacing and looked at Jack. "How am I supposed to be normal, though? I've been living the Doctor's life since I was twelve, Jack."

"Because of that you're quick to adapt in new environments… this time it's just not as temporary. You'll do fine, you'll you better than fine, I'm sure of it. This will be your senior year of high school; it's a great experience, one you would never have gotten if you were still traveling. You're more than capable of the coursework, what with the Doctor being your tutor and all." Jack chuckled and I smiled. "Monday you start school, but tomorrow you start a new life."

"Thanks for the pep talk."

"No problem. I'll be off then; I'll come 'round once in awhile to see how you're doing, when Torchwood lets me. If you need anything don't hesitate to call Martha or I."

"Thanks again. Goodnight Jack."

"Goodnight Sophia." He left the house and I was alone.

I picked up the last box that Jack had brought in and I carried it upstairs. I walked into my bedroom and sat it on the vanity. I looked into the mirror and ran my fingers through my reddish hair, I twisted a lock in my fingers and though about the oddity of the hair color, I had never determined whether it was red or brunette. I laughed internally; I must be really distraught if I was contemplating my hair color. I stared in the mirror at the strange girl; pale skinned, blue eyed, with rusty hair; she didn't belong here, in the real world, she belong in a world of impossibility and… magic.

I looked in the box I'd carried into my room and the item on top was a scrapbook. I pulled it out and went and sat on the bed, turning on the bedside lamp. I quickly looked at the room, decorated for the average teenage girl, bright colors and plain. I sighed as I opened to the first page. There was the Doctor, smiling and bright-eyed. The man staring up at me from the page was the only real family I had in the world, he and his companion at the time Rose, had taken me in after the death of my parents. In this picture the background was meaningless, he was my main subject; his hair was as wild as always, he had a true smile on his face, and his warm brown eyes sparkled with mirth. Staring at his face I remembered the day he became my world…

_Flashback_

_I sat on the side walk crying, my twelve year old form shaking with sorrow. I'd just witnessed my parents die... I'd almost died myself. The man who saved my life sat down next to me, placing an arm around my shoulder. I cried into his chest uncontrollably as he rubbed my back to calm me and whispered unintelligible words in my ear. When I'd calmed down significantly I pulled back and looked at him, with chocolate eyes made me feel safe._

"_I'm sorry I was too late." He said to me, his voice clear but his face regretful. _

"_Don't be… you saved me." I said trying to comfort this man the same way he'd comforted me._

"_Do you have somewhere to go… any family?" He asked. I saw his friend approaching cautiously, she fiddled with her blonde hair nervously and her hazel eyes scanned the scene, she seemed to not want to intrude._

"_No. Mama and dad were my only family." I said, tears threatening to overtake me again. _

"_I…" The man stopped to collect his thoughts. "I don't think I can help you anymore, we'll call the police they will… be able to take care of you." He said hesitantly._

"_Please don't leave me…" I pleaded. He blinked at my reaction, unable to respond._

"_We could take care of her, Doctor." Rose said with an unsure tone. "She could come with us."_

"_She's only twelve, Rose. It's too dangerous." The Doctor said to his friend. _

"_Please Doctor." I said in a small voice. "I don't want to be with strangers." I said staring up at him, pleading with doe-like eyes. _

_The Doctor looked from me to Rose, and then back at me. "Alright, but only temporarily." Rose smiled and I felt much better with the uncertainty of what would happen gone. The Doctor offered me his hand and I took it. That day changed my life forever._

_End Flashback_

Iturned the page to a picture of Rose, her hair braided, she had a milk mustache, and she was laughing. I felt a tug at my heart as I looked at the girl who helped save me. I turned the page and saw a picture of the Doctor reading, a serious look on his face. His look reminded me of the second life shattering event in my life that occurred just today.

_Flashback_

_I walked into the TARDIS console room to see a somber Doctor. "Right, I'm all healed up, where is our next destination?" I said gaily, in an attempt to lift the Doctor's spirits. _

"_You're going to Mystic Falls, to live." He said looking at me, sadness in his eyes. "It's a safe, average, small town. You'll live a normal life, make friends, and move on."_

"_What are you saying, Doctor?" I asked confused. _

"_The only way I can protect you is to keep you from me, I've put you in harm's way so many times, and I almost lost you. I'm giving you a normal life."_

"_I don't need you to protect me! I don't want a normal life, Doctor; I want to stay with you." The Doctor started fiddling with the controls._

"_You can't, it's not safe. I've been selfish to keep you with me so long. You deserve a childhood, a human life." He said without looking at me._

"_I am seventeen, hardly a child. I'll be an adult by human standards in a few months."_

"_I know." He said softly. The TARDIS jerked as she landed. "Please Sophia; I'm doing this for your best interest."_

"_Doctor, please." I said in a soft tone._

"_Jack will get you settled." He said clearing his throat before turning to me. "I made some calls; you have a house, school records, everything needed for a fresh start." He walked over and hugged me tightly. "Goodbye, Sophia." _

_End Flashback_

I snapped the scrapbook closed and sat in on the bed side table. I turned out the light and curled up in the bed. I hugged my pillow and cried myself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own Doctor Who or the Vampire Diaries. Hurray! Two chapters in one day; I'll warn you now, I won't always update at this pace.

* * *

A walked down the stairs, the quiet was unnerving. I was used to being alone on the down time between trips, but there was always a presence. I walked into the kitchen, which was well lit with the morning light. I looked through the cabinets, which were stocked with all the items you would find in a kitchen. I settled on cereal, because my appetite was nearly nonexistent. I ate by myself, something that felt unnatural. I had no fellow traveler to talk to, no Doctor to watch burning toast and dashing about madly as he tried cooking a proper breakfast solo. I sighed and cleaned my dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I was contemplating exploring the house when I heard a knock on the door.

I opened the door to see a young woman with strawberry blonde hair. "Hi, I'm Jenna." The woman said greeting me. "I live two doors down with my niece and nephew."

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Sophia…" I had to stop myself from saying Smith, which The Doctor and I used as an alias all the time, and remember to use my real surname, "Sophia Bryant." I said as I shook Jenna's hand.

"Is there anyone else home?" Jenna asked.

"It's just me at the moment." I replied.

"Well, I know that people normally bring food over to welcome neighbors, but I thought I'd ask you to have lunch with us today instead." Jenna said. "My niece, Elena, she's about your age. You could start meeting people before school starts." She said kindly.

"Thank you. I would love to do that. What time should I come over?"

"Around noon."

"I'll see you then." I smiled. Jenna pointed out her house before leaving. I shut the door and turned to walk back in the house. It would be good to meet people; at least I wouldn't be completely alone.

When noon rolled around I walked over to my neighbor's house and knocked on the door. It was opened by a girl with long dark hair. "Sophia?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"Um hi, I'm Elena." She said. "Come in." I walked into the house and shifted uncomfortably. Elena called up the stairs. "Jeremy… we have company."

"Just a minute…" Came a nonchalant voice.

"Jer." Elena called.

"Coming!" A boy with floppy hair came out of an upstairs room and flew down the stairs without a word.

"Sorry about my brother."

"It's alright." I said.

"The kitchen's this way." I followed Elena into the kitchen where Jenna was making sandwiches.

"Hi Sophia." Jenna said in a cheery voice.

"Hi." I said back, forcing a smile. Elena sat down at the table across from Jeremy, I followed suit and sat next to her. Jenna put the sandwiches on the table.

"Dig in." She said and we starting eating. Silence hung over the table for a few minutes.

"So Sophia, why have you moved to Mystic Falls?" Jenna asked.

"My guardian," I shut my eyes before continuing, trying to block out my grief, "He travels a lot. I used to travel with him, he home schooled me… but he insisted that I settle some place and have a proper senior year."

"Guardian?" Jenna probed.

"Aunt Jenna!" Elena shot her aunt a glare.

"I don't mean to intrude." Jenna said to me.

"It's fine. My parents, passed away when I was twelve. I've lived with the Doctor," I continued, attempting to cover my slip up, "with Doctor Smith, ever since." Elena stared off into space at my reply; she had a far off look that I recognized. We finished lunch in companionable silence, Jenna attempting to rekindle a conversation once or twice. The table was cleared and I figured I should take my leave.

"Elena, why don't you show Sophia around town?" Jenna prompted.

"I wouldn't want to intrude." I objected.

"Don't worry; I want to get out here anyway." Elena told me.

"Alright, I guess I'll come then." Elena and I left the house and started our walk. "I'm sorry." I said after we'd traveled in silence for a moment.

"What?" She asked, puzzled by my random comment.

"When we were talking at lunch, I saw the look on your face. I know that look unfortunately."

"Thanks." She said quietly. "They died recently, you?"

"Over five years ago. I was twelve at the time." I replied.

"I'm sorry too." She said and I gave her a watery smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Does the hurt ever go away?"

"In time, but never completely. But you'll get to the point where you can move on." We walked silently again for awhile.

"Nervous about Monday?" Elena asked.

"Yes." I answered simply. We both laughed.

Elena showed me around town, told me how to get to school, and filled me in on some town tradition. Once the awkwardness went away Elena and I really hit it off. Maybe it was a shared tragedy, I'm not sure exactly, but we just clicked. When we made it back to her house we said our goodbyes.

"You can come to school with us if you want." Elena offered.

"Thanks. I'll take you up on that offer." I turned and jogged down her steps and went back to my house. As soon as I locked my door I felt lonely again. The TARIDS was my home not this house; I'll have to make do for now though. I finally decided to explore my temporary lodgings.

* * *

Monday rolled around after a restless Sunday. I had spent all day in agony, domesticity was not my thing, I was a traveler and domestic didn't fit the life style. I remembered the Doctor saying to Donna and I that her never landed on Sundays because they were boring, well he was right. I shook my head to try and rid myself of these thoughts, I needed to go to school and live, even if every moment was agony, I'd do it for him; maybe the Doctor will realize he made a mistake and whisk me away from this town. I sighed and went outside and sat on the porch, waiting for the Gilberts to leave for school, which didn't take too long.

Elena and I walked across the school parking lot and we were approached by two girls, they greeted Elena enthusiastically. Elena introduced me to the girls; Bonnie was a pretty girl with darks skin and cheerful eyes, Caroline was pale with blonde hair and seemed to be the "queen bee."

"I think I'll go get my schedule from the office." I said, not wanting to intrude on this friendly reunion.

"Alright, I'll see you around then." Elena said and we waved goodbye. The last thing I heard from the group was Bonnie saying something about being psychic.

I made my way into the school and found the office. I walked up to the desk. "Hi, uh, I'm Sophia Bryant. I'm new." I said to the secretary.

"Just a moment." The woman said as she began rifling through paper work. "Here's your schedule." She said handing me a sheet of paper.

"Thanks." I said accepting the schedule from her. I walked out of the office into the hall just as a boy walked in. He was tall with dark hair, and was wearing sunglasses. I had a strange feeling in my gut; my instincts said he wasn't human. I scolded myself. "He's not an alien, he's just a boy." I said internally. "You're just trying to make a reason to get the Doctor to come back." I looked at my schedule and then set off to my first class.

The periods before lunch flew by. At least one of Elena's group seemed to be in all my classes in the morning, and the boy from the office was in one morning class as well. I headed to lunch and sat down with Bonnie and Elena. Caroline soon joined us.

"You're off the hook Sophia." Caroline said as she sat down.

"What hook?" I asked perplexed.

"The interesting-new-kid hook, you've been replaced."

"Tell me who it is so I can send a thank you note." I said jokingly. Bonnie and Elena stifled chuckles because Caroline seemed serious.

"Stefan Salvatore." She answered. I saw Elena blush slightly at the name.

"Sunglasses?" I asked.

"He did have sunglasses. Is that really all you noticed, I mean come on, he's gorgeous!" Caroline replied.

"He's not bad." I said offhandedly.

"What, you've seen better looking guys?" Caroline pressed, curiosity in her eyes. It seemed as if she thought no one was more gorgeous than Stefan.

"If I say yes you'll ask for names, descriptions, and where I saw them. Yeah?" I asked and Caroline nodded. "If I say no, I'd be lying."

"Ooh, spill." Bonnie said, finally intrigued.

"Where's the fun in that?" I smirked. Elena laughed, Bonnie seemed dejected, and Caroline seemed to be concocting a plan to get me to tell her my deepest, darkest secrets.

"As much as I'd love to stay and chat," Caroline said, "I need to go talk to someone." She got up from the table and headed across the cafeteria.

"Sophia," Bonnie piped up, "there's a party tonight do you want to come?"

"Oh, I'm not much for parties." I said, and it was partially true. Most of the parties I'd been to ended badly.

"Come on, it'll be a great way to meet people." She gave me this look like a sad puppy.

"Alright, I'll come." Bonnie smiled.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked, yet it seemed less of a request than an order.

"I'll come too." Elena sighed.

"Good. I'll see you two later then." Bonnie said and she too left the table. Elena and I were left alone.

"Someone thinks that Stefan is the most gorgeous boy they've seen… am I right?" I said playfully to Elena.

"Shut up." She replied, hiding a smile.

Classes flew by with little event, that was until history. Stefan seemed to have a standoff with the teacher. It was quite amusing to watch the teacher be humiliated by a student. The way Stefan defied the authority in the class gave me mixed feelings; joy at the spectacle, but pain because it reminded me of the Doctor. As I watched Stefan I got the same odd feeling that I had earlier, I shook it off and pushed through the rest of the day. When the final bell rang I was glad to be free of school.

Elena sprinted toward me in the parking lot. "Sophia, can you make it home alone alright? I have an errand to run."

"Go on, I'm fine." I replied. Elena smiled thankfully and went off to do whatever she needed to do. I was almost off school grounds when I felt as if I was being watched. All my senses went into overdrive; my heart was pounding pushing adrenaline through my bloodstream, my legs tensed readying for a run, and my hearing became extremely sensitive. I jumped when someone put their hand on my shoulder. I spun on the spot to see a boy standing there he had sandy hair and a kind face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He said with an apologetic smile.

"It's fine." I said in reply. I still had the feeling that I was being watched, but I started to calm down.

"I'm Matt Donavan." He introduced himself.

"I'm Sophia Bryant."

"I know. I was in a couple classes with you today."

"Right, I suppose everybody knows me now." I said with a chuckle.

"I wanted to ask if you needed a ride home. I saw you came with Elena today, but you didn't leave with her."

"Thank you, but I'm fine walking. It's been a long day… I think I need the walk to be by myself for a bit."

"Of course. I'll see you around then."

"Yeah. Bye Matt." I said and he waved goodbye. I walked on by myself. The road was surrounded by forest, "Mystic Falls, I think they should rename this place Mystic Forest. All there are are woods, I haven't seen any waterfalls." I said to the open air. I chuckled at my strange behavior and continued the journey to the house.

* * *

That night when Elena and I arrived at the party I was left for Stefan. Not that I minded; Elena needed somebody to fill that hole in her heart, and I wasn't in any state to be there for her, anyway love trumps friends any day I thought with a smile.

"There you are, Sophia!" Caroline said as she appeared from within the crowd. "You want a drink?" She asked offering me a cup of beer.

"Thanks, but I don't drink."

"You don't drink? Any particular reason?"

"Yeah, it involved way too much champagne, an embarrassing situation, and one very mad Doctor."

"Well of course a doctor would be angry about teen drinking, doesn't mean you should care." I laughed at her obliviousness.

"Really though, I'm not in the mood."

"Suit yourself." She said and drank from the cup. "So you gonna tell me about all the hotties you've observed in your life yet?"

"Maybe one day Caroline, or maybe not."

"You're not much fun." Caroline pouted.

"I am tons of fun, thank you very much." I said with mock hurt, which elicited a smile from Caroline.

"So, what do you know about Elena and Stefan?" Caroline asked, her attention drawn to said couple across the clearing.

"Not much, why?"

"No reason, I just wondered if they were an item or not."

"What, have you got the hots for one Stefan Salvatore?" I asked.

"Maybe I do." Caroline said absent mindedly. "Are you telling me that you don't?"

"I don't know him. Even though looks are great, they're not everything." I paused. "I'm not really looking for a boyfriend anyway." Caroline gasped.

"Why not?"

"My heart aches enough; I don't need a teenage boy to add to that pain." I said in a somber voice.

"You are way to serious, you need to chill and have some fun." Caroline said in a peppy voice.

"I'm having fun, can't you tell." I did a little dance. "See, I'm the life of the party."

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be strange?" Caroline asked.

"Yep." I said, popping the p. "You go on, enjoy the party. I'll get into it eventually, and if not, I'll head home."

"Fine. Remind me not to bother next time." Caroline said before departing.

The party didn't really boost my mood much, mostly because I had no desire to be there. I talked to a few people, but mostly I stood at the edge of the crowd. I was standing by the tree line when the feeling of being watched washed over me again. I quickly moved from the forest's edge and into the crowd. About half an hour later the shindig came to a screeching halt. Jeremy had found a mortally wounded Vikki Donovan in the woods; soon the party site was swarming with cops. Great, this party ended just like all the other's I've been to, badly.

I got home at about eleven thirty and made my way up to bed. I felt bad for that poor girl; they were murmuring about her being viciously attack by an animal. Once I was in my bed I pulled out my scrapbook, hoping to calm my jitters by reliving some good memories. I opened to the perfect page; it was a picture of the Doctor and Martha ice-skating.

_Flashback_

"_What did I tell you Martha Jones? The mineral lakes of Koolhar are a fantastic spot for ice skating!" The Doctor said with joy as he whizzed about on skates._

"_Yes, you definitely said that." Martha replied. She and I where moving slowly, this being a first try at ice skating for the both of us. _

"_You're very talented." I said while stifling a giggle as the Doctor pirouetted. _

"_Thank you, Sophia." He said beaming. The Doctor slid toward Martha and I at top speed and stopped a centimeter away from running into us. "Come on girls, I'll help you start." He offered us each a hand. Martha and I took our respective hand hesitantly. The Doctor started pulling us and we were all gliding quickly. Martha got spooked though and jerked, bringing us all down. We all lay on the ice, entangled in each others limbs, and began laughing hysterically._

_End Flashback_

I put away the scrapbook and turned in for the night.

* * *

The rest of the week flew by, but each individual day was excruciatingly slow. Saturday came and I had no plans at all. Stefan and Elena seemed to be getting on very well, so I decided to let Elena be in case she had plans. I left the house at about ten in the morning, deciding to investigate the woods. As I walked through the lonely wooded area I thought about how this is the set up in most horror flicks; pretty, young girl wandering in the forest alone ends up killed in some gruesome way. My drive to explore, nurtured through many years of travel through time and space, outweighed any common sense or fear I might have. After an hour or more of walking around aimlessly I discovered that I was lost. "No duh…" I muttered. "That's what happens when you go off with out a guide, or the Doctor." I stopped walking and decided on the most logical tactic to escape the woods; walk in a strait line until you find a stream, person, or road.

To my great excitement my plan worked. After walking in a strait line for what seemed like an eternity I came to a clearing. In front of me was a house, no, a mansion. I stood there and admired the gorgeous structure.

"Impressed?" Asked a male voice. I turned to see a man standing next to me; he was dressed in all black, had dark hair, and the most vivid blue eyes. I had thought the mansion was beautiful, well this man made it seem humble. I slapped myself internally for that thought before replying.

"Yes, it's a beautiful building." I answered.

"It's the Salvatore Boarding House; been in the family for years." The man said as a smirk crept across his face.

"Salvatore… as in Stefan Salvatore?" I asked.

"That would be my little brother. I'm Damon by the way."

"Sophia Bryant, it's a pleasure to meet you." I said as I offered my hand to shake. He took it and raised it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

"The pleasure is mine." He said as he released my hand. I immediately used my now free hand to tuck my hair behind my ear, in an attempt to ignore the sensation I was feeling.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, I'll be going now." I said, wanting to leave for many reasons.

"It's not a bother at all; what with such a beautiful young woman stumbling across my path."

"Thank you." I said with a laugh. Damon definitely had a charm; his confidence reminded me a bit of Jack. Unlike Jack, Damon had a different energy; he was dark and mysterious, even a little dangerous. "I should be heading home anyway. I was on a walk and got a bit turned around, if you could just point me in the right direction."

"I'll walk you." He offered.

"I don't want to cause you any hardship…" I replied.

"I insist." He implored with an unnerving edge to his voice.

"Alright then." I complied, feeling uneasy.

"Good." He flashed me a grin and we started walking down the drive. "You really shouldn't be walking alone, you never know what you might run into." Damon said as we approached the road.

"I think I can handle myself, thank you for your concern." We reached the end of the drive. "Which way leads into town?" I asked.

"That way." Damon pointed to the left.

"Thank you."

"I'm not leaving you at the drive, it's getting close to dusk. I'll walk you home." We started down the road to town. "Where do you live, anyway?"

"I guess it would be the main residential area; I'm two doors down from Elena Gilbert."

"Elena Gilbert… the girl who captured my brother's heart." He chuckled. "Are you two friends?"

"I suppose. Why?"

"Just making conversation. This will be a really boring trip if we're silent the whole way." Damon replied.

"If you want to talk, then why don't you tell me why you and Stefan moved back to Mystic Falls?"

"What makes you think we're coming back?" Damon asked in an odd tone.

"You said that was the Salvatore Boarding House, that's been in the family for years; and yet Stefan is the new kid in school. That would imply you haven't lived here since before Stephan started school. So you personally, or the family, are general is coming back." I said as if the conclusion were obvious.

"Hmm, clever and beautiful; I'm liking you more and more Sophia." He said with sincere interest in his voice. "Stephan got all nostalgic and wanted to return to the family home, so we moved back to Mystic Falls." Damon said sarcastically.

"So you and your brother aren't on the best terms?" I asked and Damon laughed.

"That may be the understatement of the century. Stephan and I have an extreme case of sibling rivalry. While he broods about it, I like to have fun with it." I didn't know how to reply to that, so we slipped into silence again. After we had been walking for a while Damon spoke. "I told you it was dangerous to walk alone, but why do you think it's safe to walk with me?" Damon said in a playful voice. My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed before answering.

"I have a really close family friend who runs a team in a special police force. So if I were you I wouldn't try anything." I answered lightly, but being completely serious.

"You're quite the curious thing aren't you?"

"I could say the same about you." I replied, confidence returning to my voice. Damon and I kept up a steady banter, talking endlessly but revealing nothing; a trick I picked up from the Doctor. Another thing I learned from him was to learn how to talk to people, I quickly found out the best way to keep Damon occupied was to keep him interested. So I answered some questions fully, others only half way, leaving the mystery intact. I had a strange feeling about Damon, similar to the one I have around Stephan. But apart from my nonhuman sense, there was another feeling attached to Damon. Even though my instincts screamed to run and his man is not safe, I didn't want to. I had felt less empty around my new friends, but not complete, like I was with them but outside somehow. With Damon that feeling vanished, I felt like I was whole, in my world.

I was thankful when the lights of the town came into view, twilight had finally set in and darkness had been creeping across the road. A few minutes later we reached the house, I pulled out my key and unlocked the door. I turned to Damon. "Thank you for walking me home. I think the company helped."

"Your welcome." He answered. He stared at me intensely, scanning me with his eyes. My mind said to say goodnight and leave it, but my manners and heart got the better of me. Damon had just walked me home, a very long task, and I was going to leave him with out any kind of thanks? No, that didn't sit well with me.

"Do you want a glass of water or something? You must be thirsty." I said, ignoring my better judgment.

"That would be very nice."

"Alright, well come in, the kitchen's this way." I said and turned, walking into the house.

A predatory smile crossed Damon's features and he stepped across the threshold.

* * *

A/N: Read and Review! Constructive criticism and feedback in general is greatly appreciated. I'll update as soon as I can!


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N**: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, Doctor who, or Captain Jack. Sophia is mine, so hands off... the plot too! Enjoy.

* * *

I walked into the kitchen and took two glasses down from the cupboard; I turned around and nearly ran into Damon. "Do you want ice?" I asked, taking a step back from my guest.

"No thank you." He answered simply. I filled the two glasses with water and handed one to Damon, who nodded in thanks. "The house is quiet." He said after a moment.

"Yes it is."

"Is everyone else out?"

"No, it's just me at the moment. My caregiver is traveling on business." Damon raised an eyebrow in response to my answer. "Technically he would be my adoptive father; I just don't call him dad." I said, answering the unasked question.

"When will he be back?" Damon asked with concern in his voice, what I thought was concern anyway.

"It depends on how the trip goes." I answered ambiguously. I turned my head as I sat my glass on the counter, when I looked forward again Damon was standing inches away from me.

"He left you all alone in a new town; isn't that odd?" Damon's eyes glinted dangerously, they bored into me not unlike the way a predator's eyes stare down its prey.

"What's your definition of odd?" I asked, throwing Damon off with my response, he backed away a bit but still kept his eyes focused. "I'm not really alone though, there's a family friend who's due to pop over tomorrow and see how things are going. I personally don't find being considered responsible odd, I'm trusted enough to live by myself, attend school, and stay out of trouble. But then again, I guess you could say I'm not the average teenager either." There was a knock on the door; Damon stepped aside and I quickly went to answer. I opened the door to see Stefan standing there.

"Hi, Sophia." He said with a smile. "I was just leaving Elena's and thought I would say hello. I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Because you never want to bother anyone, Stefan." Damon's voice came from behind me. I could see his reflection in the glass of the door; he leaned against the kitchen door. I shifted my eyes back to Stefan.

"You're fine; it's always nice to see a friendly face."

"I see you've met my brother…" Stefan said in a weary tone.

"Yes; I took a walk today in the woods and got lost, I ended up in your front yard, and Damon walked me home."

"How kind of him." Stefan replied; his voice strained.

"Translation," Damon said, his voice closer than before. "Stefan doesn't think I could do such a kind thing."

"Well, I don't want to get involved with your family issues; so you can drop the subtext or take it outside." I said firmly, my statement was meant more for Damon than for Stefan.

"I should be going… you kids have fun." Damon said as he passed me and walked through the door. He whispered something to Stefan that made his muscles tense before continuing forward. "Goodnight, Sophia."

"Goodnight." I replied as Damon retreated down the steps and disappeared into the dark. "You and your brother really don't get on well, do you Stefan?"

"No, we don't." He said lightly.

"Would you like to come in for a minute?"

"Thank you." Stefan walked into the house.

"I can tell you were both raised well, you have great manners. How did you two adopt such polar personalities though?"

"It's a long story." Stefan answered as we walked into the living room. He sat on the sofa and I took the rocking chair.

"I know about those, maybe another time then." I smiled as I rocked back and forth.

"Maybe."

"I will say, I'm glad you showed up when you did. Your brother was very kind to take me home, but he really sets off alarm bells." Stefan laughed at this comment.

"Damon does have that effect on people."

"Right, so, would you mind telling me why you stopped by again?"

"Actually I was coming to ask if you wanted to come to the Mystic Grill; Elena sent me to invite you by proxy."

"I would love to, I'm starving. What time does she want us there?"

"In about thirty minutes."

"Half an hour… that doesn't give me much time to get over there."

"It does if you drive." Stefan interjected.

"I don't have a car."

"I can take you."

"Thank you, Stefan. Now that you've given me some time to kill I think I'll change, I've been romping through the woods all day. You wouldn't mind waiting outside for a bit, would you?" I asked.

"Not at all." Stefan went out and waited on the porch while I ran upstairs to get ready.

I shed my dirty outfit and exchanged it for a clean one. I opened my jewelry box to get a few things out; on top was my TARDIS key; I'd put it in here for safekeeping, just in case the Doctor asked for it back. I pulled it out and unclasped the chain it was on, and secured it around me neck. I held the little piece of home I had left in my hand and just looked at it for a moment before dropping it beneath my blouse. I decided that I didn't need anything else from in here and headed down to tell Stefan that I was ready to go.

* * *

Stefan and I arrived at the Mystic Grill and approached a table where Elena and company sat. Stefan slid into the empty seat next to Elena and I sat beside Bonnie. "So we're the only ones dateless." I said to Bonnie, inclining my head toward Stephan and Elena as well as Caroline and Matt.

"Pretty much." She whispered back.

"I'm glad you came, Sophia." Elena said to me with a grin.

"Thanks for the invite." I smiled back.

"Caroline had mentioned you weren't in your element at the party last week, so Elena thought you might feel better with a smaller group of people." Matt told me.

"It's very nice of all of you to do this for me." I said. I really appreciated how they all brought me into the fold.

"We all could tell you're brilliant, so this is just a plot to get into your inner circle before you become famous." Bonnie said jovially and there was a ripple of laughter across the table. Everyone started flipping through their menus and soon the food was ordered.

"Sophia, are you into cheerleading?" Caroline asked out of the blue.

"I've never tried it, why?"

"We could use some backups, I was just wondering if you'd be interested."

"Thanks Caroline, but I don't think it's really my thing." I answered, and Caroline just shrugged.

"Since this seems to be random question time," Matt said with laughter in his voice, "is anyone else having trouble with Friday's English assignment?" The answers were mostly yeses, except for me and Stefan. "That is not fair." Matt said to the two of us.

"Since you two seem to be the only one's able to figure out the homework, would you lend some insight." Bonnie prompted us; Stefan answered first.

"I've read a lot of Shakespeare, so I just picked the poem on the list I liked best. It made the analysis very simple."

"How do you analyze a poem anyway, I never understood that." Caroline responded.

"You interpret the meaning of the poem." Elena offered, but all she got from Caroline was a strange look. "I'm not good at interpreting Shakespeare though. What's your tip, Sophia?"

"I don't really have any tips; I just found the assignment easy. I feel as if I have an understanding of Shakespeare… like I've met him or something." I smirked at my last comment, seeing as I have actually met the man.

"How about you tap that psychic link you have with good old Shakespeare, and help us out tomorrow." Bonnie inquired.

"Alright then, I'll try." My answer was well received around the table.

The food arrived and we all ate and kept up a good conversation. Everyone around the table was very welcoming and friendly; each of them manifested it in a different way. Caroline was good hearted, even if her popular-girl attitude wasn't my favorite thing to deal with. Bonnie was sweet, talkative, and warm; I considered her to be up there with Elena on my friend totem pole. Matt was good natured and funny, we got along well. Stefan was a proper gentleman, always a good quality, as well as kind and good humored; he had a mystique about him, like he was of another world, a feeling I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried. By the time the meal finished I was glad to say that to varying degrees, everyone at the table was a friend.

When the waitress took the plates away Matt and Stefan went to play a game of pool. Bonnie and I took their vacated seats, Bonnie next to Caroline and me next to Elena. "So," I asked Elena in a hushed voice, "why did you sent your boyfriend over to invite me instead of calling?"

"I was going to call." Elena responded. "I told Stefan I was going to call you and ask if you wanted to come, but he insisted on walking over and inviting you in person."

"I guess his strange behavior is just part of his charm." I said with a half smile.

"I guess so." Elena replied. "Well, I'm going to take on those boys, anyone else want to come with me?

"I'm not much of a pool player." Caroline answered.

"As much as I'd love to, I promised Grams I'd be back early tonight." Bonnie said and Elena nodded understandingly.

"You go on, I'll stick with Caroline." I said, not wanting to leave Caroline by herself. Elena walked over to the pool table and Bonnie left the grill.

"Are you pining after Stefan?" I asked Caroline because I caught her staring at him.

"I do not pine." She huffed. "But I won't lie, I'm jealous of Elena."

"You'll find somebody Caroline, you're a pretty girl."

"You may not be much fun at a party Sophia, but I'll give you credit, you know how to boost a girl's self esteem." Her voice was perky once again. "Speaking of somebody, I think I spotted him." I turned to see Caroline's view of the door; there was Damon Salvatore. His eyes scanned the grill, when they landed on me his apparent trademark smirk settled into place. I turned around to face Caroline again.

"Great." I said sarcastically.

"What, are you telling me this guy isn't hot enough for you either?"

"No comment." I replied. I sat there wishing that he wouldn't walk over here, but to no avail.

"Do you mind if I join you ladies." He asked in a silky voice.

"Yes." I answered quickly.

"No, we don't mind." Caroline overruled me and Damon sat down next to her.

"What's gotten you all riled up, Sophia?" Damon asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"That's Caroline." I replied lamely.

"Caroline Forbs." She said, overtly flirting with Damon.

"Damon Salvatore." Damon introduced himself, obviously enjoying the attention Caroline was giving him.

"Are you related to Stefan?" She inquired.

"I am. We are brothers"

"You're definitely the better looking brother." Caroline said with a musical giggle.

"Thank you, I happen to agree." Damon replied. "What do you think, Sophia?" He asked almost tauntingly.

"I think that I really don't care." I answered, wanting to be anywhere else at the moment.

"I leave you with my brother for mere hours and he's managed to suck all the fun out of you."

"No he didn't, I'm just not I the mood to play now Damon." I said rolling my eyes.

"Don't mind Sophia, I think she may be allergic to gorgeous guys. That or just awkward." Caroline interjected. She turned to me and said. "Lighten up, I'm just teasing you." She smiled at me and I replied with a weak smile, which seemed to satisfy her.

"Would either of you like something to drink?" Damon offered.

"I'm fine thanks." I rejected his offer as kindly as possible.

"I'll have whatever you're having." Caroline answered.

"I'll be right back then." Damon got up from the table and headed for the bar, effectively disappearing into the crowd.

"When did you meet Damon?" Caroline asked as soon as the person in question was out of earshot.

"Earlier today." I answered.

"How could you hide him from me?" Caroline asked in a slightly hurt voice.

"I wasn't hiding him."

"Good…. Do you promise not to come back later and claim him because you saw him first?"

"I promise. If you're interested go for it, I don't care." I answered, hoping that if she started up a romantic entanglement with Damon I wouldn't have to worry about possibly doing something stupid, like becoming interested in him.

"Thanks… even though it's really sad that you don't care." I laughed at Caroline's shock. At that moment Elena appeared next to me.

"Stefan's taking me home; he wanted to know if you needed a ride?" Elena asked me.

"That would be very nice…" I was about to accept when Caroline gave me the "don't-you-dare" look. "But I'm gonna stay and talk to Caroline for a while longer."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then." Elena said goodbye and she and Stefan departed. As soon as they were gone Damon reappeared, he placed a mug in front of Caroline and sat down holding an identical cup.

"Coffee?" Caroline asked looking at the mug.

"With a kick." He said simply. "Are you sure you don't want anything, Sophia?" Damon asked, actually coming off as genuinely sweet.

"I'm sure." I answered. I watched Caroline take a sip and her lips puckered slightly. I had half a mind to inquire as to what Damon meant by, "with a kick", but I decided against it. I sat there for half an hour; most of that time was spent listening to Caroline flirt with Damon. I had no idea how he could stand it. "I'm going to head home." I said suddenly and stood up. Damon stood as well.

"Would you like me to take you?" Damon asked.

"Thanks, but I was just going to ask Matt." I smiled to reinforce my thanks. I was caught off guard by Damon's behavior tonight. When he walked me home he was kind enough but I felt uneasy, after I had gotten home he made me feel downright uncomfortable; but apart from his teasing earlier, Damon had been nothing but kind since he walked into the grill. "You kids have fun." I said playfully, mimicking Damon's words before he left my house earlier. This elicited a laugh from Damon and a confused look from Caroline. I got up from the table and walked over to the pool table.

"Hey Sophia!" Matt greeted me as I approached. "Who's that guy you and Caroline were talking to?"

"That's Damon, Stefan's older brother." I answered and Matt just nodded. "Matt, do you think you got give me a lift home?"

"Sure." He said with a smile. "Do you think Caroline's alright for a ride?"

"I'll ask." I turned to face Caroline's table. "Yo, Caroline!" She shot me a glare for interrupting, which I just ignored. "Do you need a ride?" She shook her head in the negative.

"Alright, let's go then." Matt said and led the way out to the car. I glanced back at the table where Damon and Caroline sat before exiting; I felt uneasy about leaving Caroline alone, but she had a mind of her own, which she has already made up.

* * *

I sat upstairs in my bedroom waiting for Elena to call and tell me our emergency study group was gathered at her house. I was flipping through my scrapbook when I stopped on a picture of me and Rose. Rose and I stood in the console room, both in teenybopper outfits. We wore similar tops and poodle skirts; Rose's was pink and mine was blue. I thought back to the beginning of that day.

_Flashback_

"_Elvis… as in Elvis Presley?" I asked, flabbergasted._

"_Yes. Live in New York. Couldn't ask for a better thirteenth birthday present could you?" The Doctor said beaming. He was in his usual brown suit, but his hair was in a style more befitting of the fifty's. "Rose, why don't you and Sophia wait outside for a minute? I have a surprise for you both." _

_Rose and I walked out and stood by the TARDIS. "Do you know what he's up to?" I asked Rose._

"_No idea." My friend replied. We heard a rumble from inside the TARDIS and then the Doctor rode out on a motorized scooter. Rose and I doubled over with laughter. Rose and the Doctor talked to each other in time period syntax, which caused another round of laughter. Rose hopped on the back of the scooter._

"_Hop on, Sophia." Rose said with a smile._

"_There is no way I'll fit with the two of you already on it." I replied._

"_I'll take Rose for a spin around the block and come back for you. Unless of course you want to try the handlebars." The Doctor said with laughter in his eyes. _

"_Thanks, but I'll just wait my turn." I watched Rose pull on a helmet and the pair ride off, having a ball. _

_End Flashback_

I started to flip through the pictures again, but I was interrupted by a knock on the front door. I left the book on my bed and headed down to answer the door. I was surprised to see Damon standing on my porch. "Uh, hi."

"Good morning." He said with a pleasant smile. "I came by to apologize."

"What for?" I asked, confused by his statement.

"My brother mentioned that I had made you uncomfortable last night, I wanted to tell you that it was not my intention and I am sorry. I have a bit of trouble with boundaries and in the future I'll pay closer attention to how my actions affect you." Damon finished and I just stood there for a moment.

"Thank you… and don't worry about it." I responded and Damon smiled again, but this time it was not as friendly and more… more what I wasn't sure of, but it unnerved me a bit. I pushed the feeling aside for now, trying to focus on the reason Damon was here.

"Well, I won't take up any more of your time. Have a nice day, Sophia."

"You too." I said as he walked away. I shut the door and contemplated the visit. I was about to head back up when there was another knock. I opened the door and this time was greeted by Jack.

"Did you miss me?" Jack asked, his trademark grin in place.

"Not a bit." I laughed. "Come here!" I said as I pulled Jack into a hug. When we ended our embrace Jack came inside.

"So, how are you settling in?" Jack asked me, trying not to sound too concerned.

"Alright, I suppose. I'm friends with the girl two doors down, and recently was accepted into her group." Jack smiled.

"See, I told you you'd adapt quickly."

"Speaking of adapting, part of that includes a study session today. So when Elena calls I'll have to go."

"That's fine, I understand." Jack said. "Until you get that call, how about filling me in on your first week?"

"Of course. The Doctor wants a full report, yeah?" I asked half joking, half serious.

"Can't I be concerned personally?" Jack said with mock hurt. I chuckled and sat down on the sofa, Jack following suit. I filled Jack in about my first week of school, but left out all the events of the previous day save the dinner with Elena and company.

"So, how's life at Torchwood, Jack?"

"Same old, same old."

"You mean completely mad and insanely hectic?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Jack answered and we both laughed. Jack and I continued talking for a bit longer, until my phone rang. I answered it and it was Elena.

"Bonnie and Matt are over here, but Caroline canceled on us. You can come over now." Elena told me.

"Alright, see you soon." I said and hung up. "Well I'll see you again sometime, Jack." I hugged Jack again before walking him out the door.

"I'll try and come back next week. Goodbye, Sophia."

"Bye, Jack." I said and walked down the steps with him. Jack went off to use his teleport and I walked over to Elena's.

A few minutes later I sat in Elena's living room as the four of us started to talk about the work at hand. Soon the meeting degenerated, and instead of working we were all goofing off. After awhile we finally started working and soon everyone had completed the homework. Matt left once his assignment was competed, mentioning his sister might be being released from the hospital today.

"Do you have any idea why Caroline's decided to bail on us, Sophia?" Bonnie asked.

"No I don't."

"She probably decided she wasn't in the mood for studying." Elena threw that scenario out there.

"Or maybe she found someone else to do it." Bonnie added. The two girls laughed; I felt like I was missing an inside joke.

"Never mind about Caroline," Elena said; looking at me with a gleam in her eye, "who was that guy that came by your house?"

"What did he look like?" I asked, unsure which guy she was referring to.

"So you had more than one male caller this morning?" Bonnie said teasingly.

"Maybe I did." I said, keeping up the playful banter.

"He was tall, had dark hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a military coat." Elena answered my question.

"That would be Jack, Captain Jack Harkness. He's a family friend."

"He was totally hot." Bonnie said with a smirk. "I wouldn't mind if he was a family friend." She waggled her eyebrows.

"Oh no! He can be a flirt, but you can't be attracted to Jack." I said in a semi-disgusted tone.

"Why would that be… you want him all to yourself?" Elena said leaning in and bumping with her shoulder.

"Absolutely not… Jack is just a friend. I've known him since I was fourteen, I think of him as an uncle."

"Well, I still think he's hot." Bonnie said laughing.

"I already have to deal with the embarrassment of him flirting with everything that moves, I don't need you lot to be all… all interested in him!"

"We'll try not to be 'all interest' in him; but we can't make any promises, Sophia." Elena replied. "Bonnie is the only one you need to worry about… I'm taken."

"So you and Stefan are official?" Bonnie inquired.

"I don't know if we're official, but we're getting there." Elena answered, a smile spreading across her face. I spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Elena and Bonnie; I actually had a really good time, and I stopped thinking about my life that I was detached from, at least for a little while.

* * *

**A/N**: Read and review... pretty please! I'll update as soon as I can. Reviews wil inspire me! :)


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: I don't own Doctor Who, The Vampire Diaries, or Torchwood (if I did, Canary Wharf wouldn't have happened). Read on and enjoy!

* * *

I lay on my bed, fully dressed, as the sun began to rise. It was just after seven and I had some time before I needed to be heading off to school. I flipped open my mobile and dialed Martha's new number.

"Hello." Martha's answer came through the speaker.

"Hey Martha… it's Sophia." I said into the receiver.

"Sophia! How are you doing?" Martha's voice was cheery.

"I'm alright."

"Normal people's alright, or the Doctor's alright?" I laughed at Martha's question. "That answers my question. I'm sorry." She said softly.

"So am I…" I sighed. "So do you have time to talk now, or have I caught you in the middle of defending the Earth?" I asked, my tone becoming less melancholy.

"I'm just about to leave for my lunch, so you've actually called at a perfect time."

"I must say I have some fantastic timing. So, how's life?"

"It's good. I love my work for the most part, I'm traveling around a bit for work, and all my free time is spent planning the wedding."

"Speaking of the wedding, have you and your future husband set a date yet?"

"It's a work in progress… he's off on business now and my schedule is so unpredictable, it's hard to set a date."

"You'll tell me when you have though, right?"

"Of course I will, I'll need all my bride's maids won't I?"

"What… I thought you had all of your bride's maids picked?"

"I did, but Tish and I were talking the other day, and she suggested that I add one more to my list. She thought it would give you something to look forward to."

"Thank you… both of you." I said, almost speechless.

"You're most welcome." I could hear the smile in her voice. "Alright Sophia, I want you tell me all about this new town." I jumped into an explanation of the town, school, and my friends. After about ten minutes of explaining I was done. "Next question, have you seen any cute guys?"

"Have I seen any? Sure." I answered the question offhandedly.

"Have any of these guys caught your eye?" Martha asked, laughter in her voice.

"No…" I answered, not completely truthfully.

"Sophia I know when you're fibbing." Martha teased. "There is someone, I can tell."

"Maybe there is…"

"Tell me all about him."

"When did you turn into such a girly girl, Martha?"

"Don't try and change the subject." Martha retorted.

"Oh look at the time, if I don't go now I'll be late for school." I said, hoping I could escape this topic.

"I'll let you go for now, but I'll get you to tell me everything later."

"Alright, bye Martha."

"Bye, Soph." I giggled as I shut the phone, Martha was the only one to ever call me "Soph" and I always found it amusing.

I got up off the bed and walked over to the vanity. I ran a brush through my hair and smoothed the wrinkles from my clothes. I fiddled with the chain around my neck, I'd decided to leave the TARDIS key around my neck; I felt better when I wore it, less alone. I sighed heavily, resigned to the fact that I was starting my second week at Mystic Falls High. I headed out of the room, grabbing my bag as I went, and headed down the stairs and out of the house.

Today was just like every other day had been, slow and slightly boring. I was very happy to leave my third period math class, it's not that I was bad at math or didn't care for the subject, it was just so repetitive; I already knew most of the material so there was no learning involved… just reliving. I was walking to my fourth period class when I was pulled into the girl's bathroom. I turned to my kidnapper and discovered it was Caroline.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently.

"I wanted to see if you'd changed your mind about cheerleading." Caroline answered.

"This couldn't wait until lunch?" I asked half amused.

"No, I had to ask you as soon as I saw you. So, what do you say?"

"I say that I am not into being all perky and dancing around in a short skirt in the name of school spirit, sorry."

"Will you at least come and watch us practice? It might get you interested."

"Fine, I'll watch a practice. Don't get your hopes up though; I'm not likely to change my mind."

"Great, as long as I get you involved today." Caroline smiled and she and I exited the bathroom.

"Why is it so important that I be involved today?" I could barely mask my shocked curiosity at Caroline's sudden interest in my social involvement.

"I don't know, it just is…" Caroline responded in a distant voice, "Maybe I think of you as a lost puppy or something. See ya after school; we meet by the football field." Caroline said with a smile, her demeanor back to normal. We separated to go to our destinations, and I was left puzzled by her odd behavior. I made it in the classroom just as the bell rang; thankfully my run-in with Caroline hadn't made me late.

At the end of the day I walked out of the building and to the football field. No one was over here yet, I guess that they had an interlude between final bell and practice. I pulled the book assigned in English from my bag and started to read; a few girls came to the practice in small groups and began warm ups, I glanced up from my book every once and awhile and watched as the squad grew in number. When I heard tires on gravel I looked over my book to see Caroline being dropped off, she hopped out of a convertible which was driven by Damon; Caroline began to direct the squad as soon as she reached the area, I watched as Damon pulled away from the practice and drove off. I marked my place and tucked the book back in my bag and watched the cheer practice; I counted the minutes in my head, hoping that I could leave soon.

When practice ended Elena jogged over to me. "Have fun?" She asked with laughter in her eyes.

"Oh, loads." I replied smiling. "Actually, I can't wait to get out of here."

"Speaking of getting out, Bonnie and Stefan are coming over for dinner tonight, do you want to come?"

"Do I have to cook?"

"No."

"Well, I'm in then." I answered and Elena laughed.

"Great! We'll see you around eight." Elena waved goodbye and sprinted over to the football field, probably to find Stefan. I collected my belongings and left for the house.

* * *

At eight o'clock I arrived at Elena's house and was let in by Bonnie. "Hiya!" I said with a smile as I entered the house.

"Hey… Elena's in the kitchen."

"Thanks." I replied and went back into the kitchen. "Don't rush me or anything, if you all just for an orderly line I'll greet everyone." I said as I walked in on Elena and Stefan "admiring" each other. I smiled as the pair stopped staring into each other's eyes.

"Hi Sophia." Elena said as she turned to me; Stefan nodded to me in greeting. "Stefan could you go tell Bonnie that we're all set?"

"Sure." Stefan said and left the room. I walked over to Elena.

"So what's up?" I asked, seeing her concerned look.

"When I invited you over I didn't mention that this dinner is kind of a meant to bring Bonnie and Stefan together… so I just wanted to tell you before hand. I asked you here to be like a…" She struggled to find the right term and I filled in.

"A neutral party at the negotiating table?"

"Yeah…"

"That's fine with me."

"Thanks." Elena said with an appreciative smile. Bonnie and Stefan entered the kitchen and we started settling in for the meal. We were almost ready to eat when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Elena went to answer the door. We heard voices and then Stefan excused himself.

"I'll be right back." He said as he left the kitchen. A moment later Caroline entered with a bunt cake, and was followed by Damon.

"We need two more chairs." Elena said as she entered.

"I'll get them." Bonnie handed me the salad and went into the other room to find chairs. I sat the salad at the table and helped Elena set two extra places. When everyone was seated at the table Bonnie and I sat at the heads of the table, while Elena and Stefan sat on one side and Damon and Caroline on the other.

Everyone was silent when we started eating, but soon conversation broke out. I stayed quiet for the most part, that was until Bonnie piped up. "Sophia, there's something I've been dying to know about. You said you've traveled a lot, tell us about it." Everyone's eyes were on me. I didn't know how to answer; I had to eliminate all non-Earth trips, anything with alien involvement, and anything not out of what would have been my linear timeline. I wasn't left with many options.

"Like what?" I asked, hopping a more specific target would help.

"Where is your favorite place?" Bonnie inquired.

"That's a tough one…" It was a difficult question, everywhere I've been has been wonderful; even with my limited range for this discussion it was a hard choice. "I can't pick one. I love London because that's where all of my friends are, the palace of Versailles is amazing, New York, the Grand Canyon, and so many more places."

"You've traveled a lot." Elena said, stunned by my short list.

"That is an understatement." I laughed.

"Where haven't you been that you'd like too go to?" Stefan asked.

"That's another extremely long list. I really want to go to Vatican City just because, I want to see a winter Olympics, and Ireland because it's the only part of the UK I haven't traveled to; to name a few."

"If you could only go back to one place where would it be?" Caroline entered into the discussion. My heart fell a bit because that was the easiest question by far.

"I would want to go home." I answered.

"Where is home? You've never said." Elena inquired.

"Home is where the heart is." I deflected; Elena didn't inquire further.

"If I could travel all over like you have I wouldn't want to go home." Bonnie said.

"Traveling is home… it's who you're with, not where you are." I replied.

"Since we're talking about home and traveling; there's something that I've never understood. You said that your dad, guardian, whatever, sent you here for senior year while he's still traveling; why did he send you to Mystic Falls, why not somewhere where you knew people?" Caroline asked, surprisingly it was a very valid question, one that I didn't have an explanation for.

"It's complicated." I answered before having a sip of water.

"You can tell us." Damon said, involving himself for the first time in this conversation. "You're among friends."

"It's even complicated for friends." I replied. Elena caught on to my apprehension and changed the subject. Everyone moved on and discussed other things. Even though Damon didn't inquire further this time, I had a feeling he wouldn't let this go.

After dinner and desert everyone moved into the living room. I hung back in the kitchen and busied myself with making my cup of tea. As I stirred in my teaspoon of sugar I thought about the earlier conversation; why did the Doctor pick Mystic Falls? Was it because London and Cardiff were hot spots of alien activity, and this sleepy little town was safe and quiet and was separated from all danger by the Atlantic Ocean? If he was so worried about me being looked after why didn't he send me to someone we knew? I had so many questions and no one to answer them. All I knew was I missed him and I was homesick. I felt a prickling in the corner of my eyes; I was on the verge of tears. I blinked the tears away, took a deep breath, and went to join everyone in the living room.

I sat on the couch next to Elena. "Are you alright?" She whispered.

"I'm always alright." I said with a smile.

"Okay." She said, not believing me, but returning to the conversation.

"I can't believe Mr. Tanner let you on the team, Tyler must be seething." Caroline directed at Stefan, who was on Elena's other side. "But good for you, go for it."

"That's what I always tell him; you have to engage, you can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you, you have to go get it." Damon added.

"Yeah Elena wasn't so lucky today; it's only because you missed summer camp. I don't know how you'll ever learn the routines." Caroline continued; the last comment made more to herself than Elena.

"I'll work with her, she'll get it." Bonnie interjected.

"I guess, if we put her in the back." Caroline thought out loud.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena." Damon said and Elena replied by taking a drink.

"It's just because her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun." Caroline said thoughtlessly. Bonnie glared at her. "And I say that with complete sensitivity." Caroline backtracked. I shifted uneasily because I sat right in the middle of the tension.

"I'm sorry Elena, I know what it's like to loose both of your parents." Damon started. "In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we care about die."

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon." Stefan cut him off.

"You know what you're right, Stef. The last thing I wanted to do is bring her up." Damon said, almost sarcastically. Elena turned to face forward, not looking at Damon or Stefan. I felt her unease, this time I had to do the rescuing.

"Well, before this turns into some sort of who's had the worst life club, we should move the conversation elsewhere. How about someone telling me about this Founder's party that everyone is buzzing about."

Bonnie jumped on the opportunity to change topics and a moment later Elena left the room. I wasn't actually interested in the legacy of the town so I only half listened to Bonnie. Damon drained his glass and headed toward the kitchen. Stefan watched closely as his brother left the room.

"You never told me if you changed your mind or not, Sophia." Caroline's voice penetrated the recent silence.

"No I didn't, did I?" I said. "My answer is still the same."

"Alright… I just thought that you might have been good at it. We're slightly lacking girls who are in shape." Caroline added, apparently it was supposed to be a complement.

"Well, I'm more of a runner. I used to do an insane amount of running." I replied with a laugh.

"Were you ever on a track team?" Bonnie inquired.

"No, but I'm sure the Doctor and I could have started one." I smiled as I answered.

"The Doctor?" Caroline asked.

"He's my… guardian." I answered.

"Doctor what?" Bonnie asked.

"It's just the Doctor, don't ask, he's… eccentric."

"Is that why he travels so much? Is he with Doctors Without Boarders or something?" Caroline asked.

"Or something. He's very good at what he does, so I guess he's needed everywhere."

"So, he's an expert at what he does and travels around the world?" Stefan asked, trying to categorize my words into something that fit in his head.

"Kind of, yeah; he travels all over and saves people." I answered. "I think I'm going to see if Elena needs help." I said and finished my tea before standing up.

"Me too." Bonnie said and we both headed into the kitchen.

"Here come reinforcements." I said as we entered the kitchen. Elena smiled as she looked up from folding placemats. Damon rose from the stool at the island and left. Most of the work was done, so Bonnie and I just sat at the island with Elena.

"Learn anything interesting?" Bonnie asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Just that the two of them apparently dated the same girl."

"Really?" I asked, slightly surprised.

"Yeah. Stefan mentioned her before, briefly; all I know is her name… Katherine." Elena changed the subject. "So what did I miss?"

"You missed the only bit of Sophia's life story that she's told anyone about so far." Bonnie replied.

"You make it sound like I've briefed you on CIA business or something." I chuckled.

"You are about as secretive as the CIA." Elena said with a smile. "So, what did you learn?" Elena directed at Bonnie.

"That Sophia's "guardian" is some expert doctor who travels the world saving lives." Bonnie answered.

"That sound's exciting. What does he specialize in?" Elena inquired.

"I'm don't think I'll completely destroy the mystery in one go." I said teasingly.

"Well what's his name?" Elena asked.

"So you can look him up… that would be counterproductive." I smiled, quite enjoying this little game.

"Right, even if we keep playing twenty questions I don't think we'll get anything else out of her. Sophia seems very stubborn." Bonnie chuckled. "All she said was he's called the Doctor."

"You are no fun Bonnie." I said with mock hurt.

"No she's not." Elena giggled.

"Hey!" Bonnie slapped Elena with a place mat. Elena picked up a place mat and returned the blow. The pair began laughing and swatting the bits of cloth at each other. Elena hit me with her place mat accidentally.

"Oi!" I said before picking up a folded mat and joining the fight. We continued with our madness until a cough pulled us from the mayhem. Caroline was standing in the doorway.

"Do you need any help?" Caroline asked.

"I think we may need some mental help." I giggled. Elena slapped me with her mat.

"We're just about done, but if you want you could refold these…" Elena pointed to the now untidy pile of place mats. "I don't think we should be left alone with them." Caroline obliged and folded up the mats.

"Fighting with placemats is nowhere near as strange as Caroline in the kitchen." Bonnie said, staring at her friend who didn't respond.

"I'm going to head home guys… I had a nice time." I said to the girls.

"I'm glad. Thanks for coming." Elena smiled. We said our goodbyes and I left the kitchen. I entered the living area and considered leaving right then because the two Salvatore brothers seemed to be having a "sibling rivalry" moment.

"Sophia." Stefan turned towards me and smiled, trying to mask whatever emotion had been on his face a moment earlier.

"I was just coming to say goodnight; I'm leaving." I told the pair.

"Goodnight then." Stefan said politely.

"Do you really have to go so soon?" Damon asked.

"Yes, I have some things to do." I said, making up an excuse to back up my exit.

"Couldn't you stay a bit longer?" Damon asked as he stared at me. I felt an unnatural feeling, a twinge inside my head, like someone was pressing on my mind. I shook the feeling away.

"No I can't; staring at me isn't going to change that." I said impatiently. Both Stefan and Damon gave me confused looks as I left the room.

* * *

When I walked into the house I promptly locked the door and headed upstairs. I flopped down onto my bed and stared at the ceiling; I rubbed my temples remembering the strange feeling I had when Damon stared at me. The feeling felt similar to when I've encountered people with telepathic abilities. Maybe Damon was telepathic… did he know it or was he unaware? Either way it is probably best that I don't ask.

The twinge in my head reminded me of when the Doctor went inside my mind…

_Flashback_

_I was walking down the corridor of the research vessel "Pomidian" with Donna. We were a few yards away from the Doctor who had run ahead to the TARDIS. Suddenly I felt a pain in my head; it felt like my brain was vibrating. The pain got worse and I grabbed my head and groaned. _

"_What's wrong Sophia?" Donna asked, looking back at me._

"_My head… it's killing me." I fell to my knees as the pain intensified, tears welling up in my eyes. _

"_I'll get the Doctor… hold on!" Donna said in a frightened voice before running off. A moment later the Doctor was by my side. _

"_Sophia, tell me what's wrong." The Doctor said in a calm voice._

"_My head feels like it is going to explode." I said through ragged breaths. _

"_Doctor what's wrong with her?" Donna asked._

"_Just a minute." He replied._

"_You have to help her… tell me what's wrong." Donna continued but the Doctor ignored her as he pulled softly on my eyelids to see in my eyes. "If you're so clever why don't you help… Doctor is she alright?"_

"_Donna!" I said harshly. "I love you dearly but would you stop talking for one minute." Donna's chatter halted and the Doctor continued his examination. By now my eyes were squeezed shut in pain._

"_Sophia…" The Doctor said softly. "When that machine exploded in the lab, it sent out a pulse of electromagnetic energy. It woke up parts of your brain that you don't use, I can make the pain stop but you have to trust me. Do you understand?" _

"_Yes." I said weakly. The Doctor placed his fingertips on my temples and I felt something probing inside my head I panicked and mentally pushed away the feeling. As soon as I did that a wave of excruciating pain washed over me; I screamed and began to sob._

"_Doctor…" Donna began but the Doctor hushed her._

"_It's alright Sophia…" He wrapped hi arms around me and whispered to me in his native tongue, like he used to do when I'd have nightmares. I calmed a bit and the pain eased slightly. "That's my good girl." He let me go and spoke to me again. "Sophia I know that your mind is telling you not to let me in, but if you don't you'll slip into a coma. The human mind can handle a lot, but you haven't evolved enough to control all of its potential. Just relax as much as possible… and trust me." I nodded and relaxed as much as it was possible to with head-splitting pain. I felt the gentle probing, after the Doctor placed his hands on my head again, this time I didn't fight. Memories, shapes, feelings, sounds, and color flashed inside my mind before the agony disappeared. I opened my eyes to see the Doctor kneeling in front of me. "Hello again." He said with a smile._

"_Thanks." I sighed wearily. In a split second Donna had engulfed me in a bear hug. "Donna… I can't breathe." _

"_Sorry." She said as she released me. Donna and the Doctor helped me up._

"_Your brain was running on one hundred percent capacity… it's amazing that you remained conscious." The Doctor said as we walked toward the TARDIS._

"_I guess I'm lucky that way." I replied. "Is that what it's like in your head all the time?" I asked. _

"_Well, not the unbearable agony… but all the things you saw before the pain went away, yes." The Doctor answered._

"_No wonder you act so mad…" I responded; the Doctor just laughed._

_End Flashback_

I sighed as I rolled onto my side and looked at the clock; it was quarter past midnight. I grabbed my mobile off the nightstand and opened it; the message waiting light blinked at me. I selected the voicemail and put the phone to my ear. "Hi Sophia," Jack's voice said to me. "Martha let me know she told you the news. I didn't tell you about it the last time I saw because Martha was waiting until she… wait, I'm not supposed to mention that either." Jack chuckled. "Anyway, I'm planning on coming around Friday night, unless something happens with the rift. I'll see you later… take care, Sophia." Jack's voice was replaced with the recording telling me the options of saving or deleting the message. I snapped the phone shut and tossed it back on the nightstand.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling again. I contemplated getting up and changing into night clothes, but for some reason I felt exhausted. Before I knew it, sleep overtook me and the world turned into blackness.

* * *

A/N: Read an review! I really appreciate reviews... :)


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: So it's been ages, well years, since I've updated. I started this chapter when I was writing the story originally and I decided to finish it today. I can make no promises of continuing from here but I figured I should share what I had already started on. Life happened, and that's why I left this fanfic ages ago, and life doesn't stop it just gets busier. If I do continue it wouldn't be until summer time when I can marathon some early VD episodes and figure out where I want to go. I appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and follows. I hope this chapter is to your liking.

* * *

I heard a sound in the distance, so far away, it sounded like pounding on wood. I ignored the noise in favor of the refuge of sleep. A moment later a shrill ringing filled my ears, my eyes fluttered open and I reached blindly for my phone. I opened the phone and placed it to my ear. "Hello…" I said groggily.

"Sophia where are you?" Elena's voice asked.

"I'm at home, what's up?"

"It's eight in the morning on a school day, that's what's up."

"What!" I said as I snapped up into a sitting position.

"You've over slept." Elena said with a chuckle. "Let me in, I'm on your porch."

"Alright." I said and then snapped the mobile shut. I bolted down the steps, unlocked the door and pulled it open. "Hey."

"Isn't that what you were wearing last night?" Elena asked as she entered the house.

"Is it…" I glanced down at my clothes, and then I remembered last night. "I was exhausted for some reason; I guess I didn't even get a chance to change."

"How's come?" Elena inquired in a concerned tone.

"Time lag finally caught up with me…" Elena had a look of puzzlement on her face in response to my remark. "Jet lag, I mean jet lag." I covered and a look of understanding replaced her confusion.

"Call in sick then."

"I can't do that I'm not really sick."

"So what, you need a day off, take it."

"Yeah, I'm not sure that's a great idea. If I get caught…" Elena cut me off.

"You won't get caught; I'll tell you how to fool the secretary. That or you should change your shirt and brush your hair, because that's all you can do in the time you have left." I pondered Elena's offer. I didn't feel like going to school, but then again I couldn't break the rules it wasn't in my nature. All of a sudden I had a thought, of course it is; I break the rules, I do it all the time, the only difference is the situation.

"Alright, tell me how to fool the secretary then." I replied; feelings of rebelliousness and bravado took me over. Elena gave me step by step directions on calling in sick, even exactly when to cough. Once I got off the phone with the school office I turned to Elena. "So, what about you?"

"I'm going, I'd love to stay and play hooky with you… but school's the only place I really get to see Stefan." She answered, semi-apologetically.

"It's fine, I get it." I said with a smile. Elena left the house and I was alone. "Brilliant, now I have nothing to do." I said aloud as I turned to the empty house. I meandered into the living room and sat in the rocking chair to think about what I would do today. My eyes swept absent mindedly across the room as I thought, I almost missed it but I saw my scrapbook on the coffee table. I swear that I put it on the bookshelf in the living room, not the coffee table. I shook off the shock; I must have wanted to relocate the book but had forgotten. I walked over and lifted up the scrapbook, opening it at random. The picture that I saw was one of me holding a piece of paper with intricate symbols on it. I was beaming at the Doctor, who had taken the photograph. This was a picture of my holding my very first sentence written in proper Gallifrean.

_Flashback_

_The TARDIS landed with a particularly hard jolt. Once I had steadied myself I watched the Doctor pull the monitor towards him. "Where are we, Doctor?" I asked._

"_Why don't you tell me." The Doctor slid the monitor over until it was positioned in front of me. He walked over and stood over my shoulder. I examined the shifting symbols on the screen. _

"_I'm not sure… I haven't really caught on well to your language." I said, shifting under his gaze. Always teaching me he was, the Doctor taught conventionally with books but he loved in-field training. The past month and a half he'd been teaching me his language, Gallifrean._

"_I know; the best way for you to learn is through practice, so go on, practice." I could hear his smile as he emphasized the word 'practice'. I concentrated on the complex pictures before me, trying to make connections with the lines the Doctor had been teaching me. _

"_Cat… seven, something…" I started out, attempting to decipher the text. "Platypus delta?" I said skeptically. _

"_Close to fifty percent. Here." The Doctor read the location while pointing to the symbol that corresponded with each word. "Cat seven thirty, Planador delta alpha. More commonly know as: Silira, in the year four billion seven thirty." _

"_This is impossible to learn." I said as I turned to face the Doctor. A smile spread across his face._

"_You should try hard to conquer the impossible then, I'll be writing everything in Gallifrean soon." _

"_What!" I said flabbergasted. _

"_You learn much better under pressure, so I'll give you some pressure." He continued smiling, his eyes sparkling with laughter. "Now, go tell Rose we're ready to go."_

_End Flashback_

I smiled as I placed the book on the shelf. He was right about that, I learned much better under pressure.

I ventured out of the house around noon; I headed to the town planning on eating at the Mystic Grille. When I got to the town square I sat on a bench and took in the day. I was fascinated by people; I have come in contact with so many people that I enjoy spotting everyone's similarities and differences. My quiet observation was interrupted when someone sat beside me; I turned to see Damon Salvatore. "Oh joy." I said under my breath.

"What brings you to town today, Sophia?" Damon asked.

"Why do you want to know?" I deflected.

"I wanted to know because Stefan is in school and you're not. Skipping class?" Damon smirked.

"Are you a truancy officer?" I retorted.

"Are you truant?"

"Maybe I am." Damon laughed at my response. "What's so funny?"

"You." He answered simply.

"How am I funny?" I asked, but Damon didn't answer my question. "What brings you to town today, Damon?"

"Nothing in particular…"

"Well that's a non-answer if I ever heard one." We sat in silence for a moment. "I'm not truant, by the way."

"You look like you are." Damon replied.

"To be skipping class I would need to be doing so without the school's knowledge. I called in sick."

"You look fine to me." Damon responded, but he gave me a once over as if he was searching for signs of illness.

"I am fine."

"I should turn you in." Damon said in a playful tone. "I won't, but under one condition."

"What would that be?" I inquired.

"You let me buy you lunch."

"That's completely backwards." I replied, slightly puzzled.

"That's the offer."

"Alright, then I accept."

"Good." Damon said as he stood. He offered me his hand which I took, and in one fluid movement he pulled me gently to my feet. Once we entered the grille and were brought to our table and he pulled out my chair for me. Once the waitress left with our drink orders I looked at Damon closely, I was curious as to what had brought on this model behavior.

"Why are you being so nice?" I asked suspiciously.

"Do you have any reason to think I wouldn't be nice to you?" Damon countered.

"It's unexpected; I need to read people quickly and you didn't come off as the average, nice guy."

"That's because I'm not the average nice guy." Damon said as his eyebrows darted towards his hairline quickly before returning to their normal position. "So you've based your opinion of me solely on a "quick reading" of me?"

"Yes." I stated simply.

"Well at least you're honest. To answer your question, I'm being so nice because I want to leave a better impression than before; I've notice your defensiveness towards me and I wanted to fix that."

"If you don't mind my asking, why does my opinion of you matter so much?" I queried.

"It matters because I find you extremely interesting," Damon said as he leaned in across the table. "And I would very much like to know you better."

"What if I don't want you to know me better?" I asked in a low tone as I too leaned in.

"Then I'll have to warn you, I love a challenge." Damon replied in an equally low tone, his eyes held mine in a hypnotic gaze. The spell was broken as the waitress returned; I tore my eyes from Damon and stared desperately at the waitress as she took my order. My heart was beating in a sporadic fashion, not at all dissimilar to the way it would beat after staring down a Dalek. The waitress left us once again and I turned back to Damon, avoiding his eyes.

"So what do you do for a living?" I inquired in an attempt to shift the conversation away from me. "Or as your manners might suggest you are a "gentleman", who is not in need of work and lives a life of leisure." I added somewhat unkindly.

"You manage to compliment and offend all in one sentence, that's impressive." Damon said with a smirk. "A life of leisure is fun for awhile, but it becomes boring very quickly; what I do for a living is to be of service to the town."

"Care to elaborate?"

"No... Because if I told you, I would have to kill you." Damon replied nonchalantly, but there was an edge of truth to his words. "Since we're making assumptions at the moment, I didn't peg you as one to break the rules."

"I'm not, generally speaking."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Damon said as he leaned back in his chair.

"No, I wouldn't." I said with a smirk.

"You are very good at evasion."

"So are you."

"We make quite the pair." Damon responded and a quiet laugh escaped my lips. "You don't think so?"

"No, I don't think so."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Damon replied so quietly that I barely heard him. The waitress brought our food to the table; she flirted lightly with Damon as she asked if we needed anything, I rolled my eyes as Damon reciprocated and she giggled in response. "Jealous?" Damon asked as the waitress retreated.

"Jealous of what exactly?" I said offhandedly.

"So defensive; if I didn't know better I'd think you liked me." Damon said as a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Ha! You wish." I replied. "You do know that this back and forth isn't going to get you anywhere with me."

"And here I thought you were having so much fun." I ignored Damon's last remark and started on my meal.

We sat in amiable silence for a period as we started in on our meal. As I was dipping a decently sized chip into my ketchup Damon broke my concentration with a question. "How are you liking Mystic Falls?" I glanced up at him, slightly taken aback by this new track the conversation was taking.

"It's… very nice." I said as I pondered the question. "I find it to be charming, it has a bit of a timeless quality to it; like it's a sleepy town that's been preserved over time. That was my first impression, and it's probably the impression your town council wants seeing as everyone's so big into the town history… other than that I haven't thought too much about it."

"Because you don't see it as being your home?" Damon pressed gently.

"You're probably right; but like I said, I haven't put too much thought in on the subject." I hoped by giving Damon that small victory of 'reading me' my deflection would be successful, but I could tell you was about to follow up with another question so I jumped in with my own. "But you think of Mystic Falls as your home, that's why you've come back isn't it?"

"This has been our home since the town's founding, the Salvatores helped to build this town as one of the Founding families." Damon avoided answering my question and instead pressed ahead with his own. "I'm very familiar with the town's history and don't recall any prominent Bryants in the community, perhaps your 'Doctor' has family ties here. Is that why he picked Mystic Falls as your new home?"

"This is not my new home!" I said angrily before I could stop myself.

"Then why did he leave you _here_?" Damon pushed, hoping to get me to slip up in my emotional state.

I stood suddenly, I needed to leave now. I didn't know why Damon wanted to know why I was in Mystic Falls but my gut told me no good would come from him finding out. As I moved to leave the table Damon grabbed my hand, effectively halting all movement. "Sophia, I didn't mean to upset you." He looked into my eyes as he had last night as I was leaving Elena's and said in a soft voice. "Please sit back down, and let me make it up to you." I felt a strange pressing inside my mind and I shook my head to try and make it go away as I snatched my hand back from Damon.

"No. I really rather go." I said as I backed away a few steps, my stomach felt as if someone tied it into a bunch of complex knots. Damon looked a little stunned as I turned and walked away.

"Sophia, wait!" He called after me, but I continued walking and left the restaurant. I was making my way down the road when I heard Damon call my name again. I quickened my walk, hoping he'd take a hint, but I could hear him behind me. My heart was pounding, every instinct told me that there was something off about him; his strange aura, the way my mind felt… as if he were trying to invade it. I could feel him getting closer, so I did the one thing I was best at; I ran.

I quickly turned away from the road and dashed into the woods, my feet kicking up dust and leaf litter as I ran into the forest. This probably wasn't my best idea, running off into the wilderness with no knowledge of the area, but it was too late to change my mind now. All the trees looked the same as I zipped by them, I had no idea where I was headed but I heard the gurgling of a small stream and decided to head for it; when I reached the stream I splashed through the shallow water to the opposite side, I kept running for a few meters before stopping to rest. I bent over, hands on my knees, and took several deep, ragged breaths. I had no idea if Damon had followed me, but the surrounding forest seemed still and silent.

I sank to the ground and sat, leaning back on a nearby tree; I suddenly felt foolish, Damon probably wasn't a threat, he was just a bit pushy and in that moment with my emotions overwhelming me I created a scenario that didn't exist. Life with the Doctor had conditioned me to be overly aware of my surroundings, to connect the dots even if the dots weren't there. "Thank you so much for leaving me in this stupid, normal town!" I said to the trees, anger swelling in my chest. I grabbed a stick that sat beside me and stood up; I began pacing amongst the seven or eight trees around me that created an imperfect ring, as I was walking I swung my stick back and forth, hitting a tree now and again. "Thank you so much Doctor, for teaching me how to live out there in that big, crazy, scary universe… for teaching me how to see the things that everyone misses, for teaching me how to RUN!" I almost screamed as the anger was quickly being replaced with pain. I stopped violently thrashing my stick about, instead letting it drag beside me as I slowed my walk. "But you forgot to teach me how to live in a world that was quiet… that was 'normal'…" I stopped walking, planting my stick in front of me and gripping the top with both of my hands, tears welling up in my eyes as I whispered the last words. "You forgot to teach me how to live without you." My knees buckled as I fell to the ground, the only thing keeping me from falling forward and sobbing into dirt floor of the woods was the stick I clutched in front of me. I had cried myself to sleep several times since I got here, but this was the first time I truly felt all the emotion that had been building up inside me since the Doctor left me here in Mystic Falls. My anger towards the Doctor for leaving me was dwarfed by the broken heartedness I felt at being separated from him; with the Doctor I always felt as if I could do anything, but without him I was back to being that scared twelve year old girl who needed him to hold her, to whisper his alien language in her ear and soothe her pain… to look at her with his warm, chocolate eyes and let her know that she wasn't an orphan as long as he was there.

I knelt there for what seemed like an eternity, my forehead resting on my hands that were becoming sore as the stick I was holding began digging into my palms. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself and then stood up shakily; I turned to the stream and hoped that if I walked back that way I'd be able to get back to the road. After trudging back through the woods and finding the road I headed back to the house, the sun was beginning to set as I approached my 'new home'; when I came to the walkway leading to the porch I stopped suddenly. Damon was sitting on my front steps, waiting for me.

"I was beginning to worry." He said looking at me with his icy blue eyes. My right hand clenched into a fist, grasping for the stick I'd dropped many miles ago. "Sophia…" Damon started as he stood up. "I am sorry that I upset you, I can be overzealous at times." He sounded sincere. I took a deep breath, shaking away that voice in my head telling me that I should still be wary of him.

"No, I'm sorry for flipping out on you." I said taking a few steps forward, but still keeping some distance between us. "You probably think I'm mental." I said with a chuckle.

"Maybe a little nuts, but not mental." Damon said with a smile as he closed the gap between us a bit more. "If you want to keep your past hidden, I won't push so hard anymore." He told me as his face became more serious. "I still wish to learn what mysteries you've got locked away, Sophia; but I think interrogating you about something that clearly pains you is no way to keep our friendship intact. You'll tell me everything in good time."

"Thank you." I replied. I was surprised by his sudden respect for my privacy, but a little unnerved by him still, especially the way he said I'd tell him everything 'in good time'. Trying to lighten the mood I looked at Damon and asked him, feigning seriousness: "However, what about a girl running out on a free meal screams 'I want to be friends' to you?"

"Oh Sophia, usually when a girl passes on the main course things turn out to be more than friendly." Damon said in a low voice as he took a step towards me. My heart skipped a beat, and I avoided his eyes, not wanting him to realize his comment had affected me. I wanted to take a step back, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. I was searching for something to say, but I couldn't find a response; my mind was reeling, one moment I was wary of him, and the next I was apparently feeling receptive to his flirting? "You're hurt." Damon said, breaking my train of thought.

"What?" I asked confused. He grabbed my hand and turned it palm up, in the twilight I could just see the scratched surface of my hand where the stick had dug in; there was dried blood around several cuts. I hissed as Damon gently rubbed his fingers over my palm, the cuts were worse than I had thought and fresh blood sprang up from the scratches. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something happen to Damon's face when the blood seeped from my palm, like there were shadows moving beneath his eyes, but when I looked at him straight on he looked normal; my eyes must have been playing tricks on me in the low light at the end of dusk.

"Do you have a first aid kit in the house?" Damon asked as he started leading me to the house by my good hand.

"I should." I said as we stopped in front of the door.

"If you don't I'm sure we can find something to wrap your hand with, a kitchen towel or something." He said opening the door and leading me towards the kitchen. I stopped moving and Damon looked back at me.

"I can take care of it myself, thank you." I stated matter-of-factly.

"You have something lodged in one of those cuts, it looks like bark; I don't know what you've done to yourself but I doubt you can pull it out of your own right hand, unless of course you're a lefty." Damon let go of my hand and continued on to the kitchen.

I followed him and once in the light I saw he was right, I had bark or stick pieces stuck in my hand; I must have been really upset not to notice the damage I'd done to myself, but now that I did see it, it started to sting painfully. "How did you see that?" I asked suddenly surprised. "I could barely see the cuts in the dark outside."

"I have really good night vision." Damon said with a wink. "I'll see if I can find your first aid kit." He said as his walked out of the room; he wasn't gone long before he came back with a white plastic case emblazoned with a red cross on the front. We sat at the island and Damon started to pull out the necessary items from the kit, as he did so I noticed what appeared to be a postcard with a green crescent moon on it, the universal symbol for hospitals; I picked it up and on the other side there was a handwritten note:

_Sophia,_

_I'm guessing that it won't be long before you need to pull this out of the cupboard. With all the trouble you get yourself into I had half a mind to send two first aid kits with you. Please be careful._

_Love always,_

_The Doctor_

"Are you alright…" Damon asked. A look somewhere between concern and curiosity crossed his face.

"I'm fine." I said blinking back tears and hiding the note in my lap. "My hand just stings. Carry on." I held my injured hand in front of Damon and looked at the postcard in my lap as he began pulling the wood slivers from my cuts. I bit my bottom lip to block out the pain as Damon tended to my wound as gently as he could.

"All done." Damon said once my palm was wrapped up in gauze.

"Thank you." I said as I stood up and gave my hand a once over.

"And what do I get as a reward for tending to your mangled hand?" Damon asked in a cheeky tone as he too stood.

"You get to know that you've now made up for being a jerk and ruining my day." I answered him seriously, not wanted to play this game anymore tonight.

"Is that really all?" Damon asked with mock hurt.

"Yes, that's all Damon. You should be glad I'm being so generous." I said as I started walking to the front door. He seemed to pick up on the fact I wasn't going to respond the way he wanted and so Damon followed me to the door. Once he was standing on the porch I gave him a small, friendly smile and said goodnight.

I was starting to shut the door when Damon put his hand out to stop my motion, it wasn't an aggressive move, but I was unsettled by it. I stared at his hand when he started to speak. "We really need to try this outing again sometime, but with a more pleasant result."

"We'll see, Damon." I said finally looking at him. His eyes were soft, but in the shadows cast by the porch light he had the air of a predator about him; he was just as much a mystery to me as I was to him.

"Perhaps we can end this evening on a good note." He leaned forward ever so slightly, locking me in with his blue eyes. "If you'll permit me." Damon waited to see if I'd try and slam the door in his face before proceeding. He came into my personal space causing me to feel flustered, but not in danger; Damon kissed my cheek with a gentleness that didn't seem to match his persona and then softly spoke into my ear. "Goodnight, Sophia."

I closed my eyes for what I thought was just a second, but when I opened them he was gone. I quickly shut the door and locked it. Now that Damon was gone I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me; earlier that day everything in me screamed that he couldn't be trusted, and now I'm letting him come in my house and then kiss me goodnight before leaving. My head and my heart were at odds, well my head, heart, and instinct; instinct told me to run, my heart is saying I have no idea what, but my head is telling me that I should figure out what makes Damon set off all my alarms… maybe he really isn't human. But all that can wait until tomorrow.

I went into the kitchen and picked up the Doctor's note before turning out the lights. I went into the living room and grabbed my scrapbook before trekking up the stairs to bed. I sat on my bed and opened the book to a blank page and secured the note in its new home before shutting the scrapbook again. As I ran my hand over the cover I wondered if the Doctor had left messages for me in other places around the house; that thought made it seem like he was still present in some way. I hugged the scrapbook to my chest as I lay down in bed; before I fell asleep I thought about the day I got this scrapbook.

_Flashback_

_I sat cross-legged on my bed staring at the far wall; I was looking at the poster on the wall thinking of what image I wanted to see. This was my birthday gift from Jack, he'd told me that now I've turned 16 I was getting hard to shop for, his remedy for this was a poster with qualities similar to the Doctor's psychic paper; Jack said that once I got hang of controlling it I could have any image I wanted appear, whether it was a memory or something from my imagination. Right now the poster remained blank, I still couldn't figure out the trick that made it work. My concentration was broken by a knock on the door. "Come in." I called out._

_The Doctor walked into the room, keeping his hand behind his back. "So, did we have a good day my birthday girl?" He asked with a smile in his eye._

"_It was perfect." I answered cheerfully._

"_Perfect, was it?" The Doctor said walking to the edge of the bed. "Then I guess there's no need to add anything to it if the day was perfect."_

"_Who said it couldn't be more perfect?" I asked eyeing him, trying to figure what he was hiding._

"_Well then…" The Doctor beamed pulling a large book from behind him. "If you want a more perfect day, then who am I to refuse?"_

"_You're going to read to me?" I asked._

"_I'd think you wouldn't want me to read to you now you're 16, isn't that something you're too old for?" The Doctor queried in a playful tone._

"_I'll never be too old for you to read to me." I said with a smile as he sat on the edge of the bed._

"_Good to know. Sadly, this isn't a story book, it's a scrapbook. It's my gift for you." The Doctor said as he handed me the book, the TARDIS hummed loudly at his statement. "Our gift." The Doctor corrected reaching over and patting the wall. "It's a good place for you to keep all those pictures and mementos you have… so it kind of is a storybook, it's your story after all."_

"_Thank you." I said as I ran my hand over the cover, I smiled as I looked at the Gallifrean characters spelling out my name._

"_If you want I can tell you a story, I have enough of them raddling around in my head that there is no reading required." The Doctor suggested, smiling at me warmly._

"_I'd like that." I answered as I handed him the scrapbook to put on my night stand._

"_Alright, budge up a bit; make room for this old Timelord." I giggled as I scooted over so he could swing his legs up on the bed and lean back onto the pillow. This used to be a nightly ritual when I first came aboard the TARDIS, it's what kept most of the nightmares at bay. I snuggled up next to the Doctor as he started to spin a tale of the happy times back on Gallifrey, before the war, and before the loss. My eyelids grew heavy as I listened to his voice, and the steady beating of his two hearts. "You would have loved it Sophia, running through the fields of flowers…" I could see everything he was describing, I could smell the flowers, and feel the warm breeze that made them sway rhythmically as I walked through a springtime under the Gallifrean sky with the Doctor… in my dreams._

_End Flashback_

Back in my bed I drifted off to that other world, that world of dreams where no matter where we really were, the Doctor and I would always be together.

* * *

A/N: Again, thank you for the reviews. -_BellsAndRoses_


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